Reboiler

Definition - What does Reboiler mean?

Reboiler is a heat exchanger used for providing heat to the bottom of the industrial distillation columns. The liquid is heated from the bottom of the distillation column in order to generate vapors that are returned to a column for driving distillation separation. A proper operation of a reboiler is essential for effective distillation. All vapors that drive the separation come from a reboiler in the typical column of classical distillation. The reboliers receive a stream of liquid from the bottom of the column and may completely or partially vaporize that stream. This stream of liquid offers heat required for vaporization.

Petropedia explains Reboiler

Reboilers play an important role in the transfer of heat to and from the process fluids in a chemical process. They are classified into different forms according to the type of circulation applied and their orientation. The following are the most common types of reboilers used:

Fired Reboilers – They are also called furnaces and are used as distillation column reboilers.

Forced Circulation Reboilers - They use a pump for circulating the liquid of column bottoms through reboilers.

Kettle Reboilers – They are very reliable and simple to use. They may need pumping of liquid through the column bottoms into the kettle.

Thermosyphon Reboilers – They do not need the pumping of liquid of column bottoms into the reboilers.